Thursday, August 30, 2012

Many health-minded individuals
understand that eating fried or overcooked foods is unhealthy due to the
chemical transition of normally stable fats to trans-fats that have been shown
to dramatically increase heart attack risk. Researchers from the University of
the Basque in Spain publishing in the journalFood Chemistry are the first to
discover compounds released from common cooking oils that significantly increase
the risk of neurologic degenerative diseases and a variety of different
cancers.

Breakdown chemical structures
known as aldehydes are formed in cooked vegetable oils such as sunflower oil
when heated to normal frying temperatures, and are also released into the air where
they can be inhaled. Alternate food preparation methods such as roasting,
steaming and broiling are safe methods of cooking foods to avoid the dangerous
release of aldehydes and afford a shield against cancer forming particles and
neurodegenerative decline.

Many Common Vegetable Oils Produce Dangerous Aldehydes When Heated

Prior studies have identified the
health degrading nature of aldehydes, where their presence in organisms is
linked to different types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's. Researchers also know that these compounds remain in vegetable
oils after they have been used to fry foods and wanted to determine how they
interact with proteins, hormones and enzymes in the body to impede its correct
functioning.

The study
team heated three types of oil (olive, sunflower and flaxseeds) in an
industrial deep fryer at 190 degrees Celsius for a period of forty hours
(twenty hours was used for the flaxseed oil). This length of time was used to
approximate oils used commercially at a restaurant where fryers remain heated
for extended periods of time. The oils were then analyzed using gas
chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a Healthier Oil for Cooking

Researchers found that the
sunflower and flaxseed oils degraded significantly and are the ones that create
the most toxic aldehydes in the least amount of frying time. These oils are
high in polyunsaturated fats (linoleic and linolenic) and breakdown quickly to form
the health-demoting aldehyde compounds that permeate the air and penetrate into
the food. Olive oil, known to be high in monounsaturated fat, generates
aldehydes to a lesser degree and after cooking much longer.

The research team concluded“The fact that significant concentrations of
these toxic compounds were found in some oils … is a cause of concern for human
health.” Although the scientists did not use coconut oil in their tests,
studies have shown that the medium-chain fatty acid does not rapidly convert to
deadly trans fats when heated, and may be less likely to produce aldehydes when
compared to other vegetable oils. While fried foods are not part of a healthy
eating plan, it is important to avoid cooking with low flash-point oils that
produce aldehydes and increase the risk of neurologic disorders and cancer.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) is well
known as a critical compound required by the body to facilitate normal
breakdown of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within each cell into energy we need
for metabolism and life itself. It should come as no surprise that this vital
natural enzyme complex may hold the key to prevention and reversal of many
potentially life-threatening forms of cardiovascular disease.

Several research studies
reveal that CoQ10 works at a cellular level to protect delicate DNA and reduce
dangerous inflammatory levels that are closely linked to heart disease. Further
evidence exists to explain how the coenzyme improves blood flow to the heart
muscle and enhances vascular elasticity to prevent arterial stiffening,
commonly referred to as ‘hardening of the arteries’. Scientists have also found
that CoQ10 lowers unhealthy levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol by modulating
gene signals involved with cholesterol metabolism.

Researchers from Spain publishing
in the journalAge found that supplementing CoQ10 while
consuming a healthy Mediterranean diet lowered markers of DNA damage within
cells and reduced systemic inflammation. The net effect of this human study was
a dramatic reduction in biological markers associated with cardiovascular
disease.

The study was conducted by
placing twenty participants, aged 65 or older, on three different diets for
four weeks each: a Western diet, a Mediterranean
diet, or a Mediterranean diet with 200 mg of Q10. The group taking the
Mediterranean diet experiences moderately lowered levels of DNA stress, largely
due to the anti-inflammatory effect of a diet high in monounsaturated fats in
the form of olive oil.

The group that included CoQ10 had
a marked decline in all metabolic markers known to promote DNA damage and a
decline in cardiovascular health. The study authors concluded that the
Mediterranean diet plus CoQ10 “improves
oxidative DNA damage in elderly subjects and reduces processes of cellular
oxidation. Our results suggest a starting point for the prevention of oxidative
processes associated with aging.”

CoQ10 Increases Arterial Elasticity by Improving Cellular Energy

A Chinese research team published in the journal
Atherosclerosis examined the effect
of CoQ10 on the delicate endothelial lining of the coronary arteries.
Endothelial dysfunction is known to be a progenitor to heart disease and heart
attack. The scientists demonstrated that individuals placed on CoQ10 (300 mg
per day for 12 weeks) showed marked improvement in arterial stiffness due to
increased blood flow and improved cellular energy within their endothelial cells.

Scientific evidence is mounting
to support coenzyme Q10 as a powerful tool when used to improve cellular energy
levels and fight the advances of cardiovascular disease. Most new research is
now evolving around the reduced form of the coenzyme known as ubiquinol.
Ubiquinol has been found to be up to eight times more potent than the standard
CoQ10 and last much longer in blood circulation. It is quite apparent that most
health-minded individuals should supplement with CoQ10 (50 to 300 mg per day
depending on cardiovascular health) to improve energy levels and improve
vascular circulation to the heart.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Scientific research bodies
extolling the amazing virtues of the prohormone, vitamin D have been published
in rapid succession to explain the preventive mechanism shown to prevent
cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Three independent
reviews demonstrate that maintaining a vitamin D blood level between 50 and 70
ng/mL can provide optimal protection against many chronic diseases.

Researchers’ publishing in the journalNutrition, Metabolism &
Cardiovascular Diseases provide evidence that vitamin D is intrinsically
involved in the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Disruption of the
body’s natural stasis system contributes to diabetes, obesity, elevated blood
lipids, high blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, stroke and risk of coronary
artery disease. Scientists advise supplementation of 4,000 to 8,000 IU of
vitamin D per day to achieve optimal levels, far above the anemic 400 IU
currently recommended.

Vitamin D Controls Genetic Receptors to Guard against Chronic Disease

Scientists at the University of
Miami’s School of Medicine demonstrate a direct genetic link between low
vitamin D levels and the development of amyloid proteins in the brain, commonly
associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Reporting in the journalNeurobiology of Aging, researchers
looked at gene signaling in relation to the vitamin D receptor in 492 late
onset Alzheimer’s patients and 496 control subjects.

When vitamin D receptors were not
activated on the surface of individual cells due to poor vitamin D saturation
in the blood, precise gene signaling went awry that halted normal clearance of
the dementia-related protein clumps. The team conducting the study concluded“Our findings are consistent with
epidemiology studies suggesting that vitamin D insufficiency increases the risk
of developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

Test Vitamin D Blood Levels Regularly to Ensure Optimal Range

Researchers in Spain evaluated
the vitamin D status of 1,226 individuals in 1996. The participants were again
tested eight years later, and vitamin D levels were contrasted with development
of diabetes over the course of the study. The results, published in the journal
Clinical Nutrition, found that those
with vitamin D blood levels above 18.5 ng/mL had an 83 percent lower risk of
developing type 2 diabetes during the eight year period. No one in the study
with a vitamin D score over 30 ng/mL developed type 2 diabetes.

It has become very clear from countless
research studies published over the past decade that vitamin D qualifies among
the most crucial and essential hormone-based nutrients. And still millions of
people continue to place themselves at unnecessary risk by ignoring this
information.

Most people above the age of twenty-one
should supplement with a minimum of 2,000 IU of vitamin D every day and have
their blood tested to ensure they reach the optimal range of 50 to 70 ng/mL.
Extensive research provides more than sufficient evidence that maintaining a
proper vitamin D level can dramatically lower the risk of heart disease,
Alzheimer’s disease diabetes and many other chronic illnesses.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Scientists have understood the
basic mechanism of telomeres, the small zipper-like capsules that bind our DNA
genetic material and enable precise cellular reproduction, for more than a
decade now. As each cell replicates, the telomere shortens and the potential
life-cycle of the cell diminishes slightly until there is no more telomere and
cell death ensues. Researchers publishing in the journalArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular
Biology have found that telomere shortening accurately predicts the risk of
developing heart disease, suffering a heart attack and early death from all
causes.

Smoking and obesity cause
systemic inflammation and are a direct cause of telomere shortening. In
addition to improving diet and lifestyle risk factors, carnosine supplementation is
emerging as an important nutrient that can block telomere
shortening and reduce aging effects to increase lifespan.

Researchers from The University
of Copenhagen in Denmark examined the DNA of 20,000 Danes to analyze their
specific telomere length, an established measurement of cellular aging. The
participants were followed for a period of nineteen years and the results
demonstrated that when the telomere length was short, the risk of heart attack
and early death was increased by fifty and twenty-five per cent, respectively.

The study author and team leader,
Dr. Borge Nordestgaard noted“The risk of heart attack or early death is
present whether your telomeres are shortened due to lifestyle or due to high
age.” Many lifestyle choices including smoking and poor diet leading to
overweight and obesity are independent risk factors for telomere shortening
that increase heart attack risk and early death. Any factor that shortens the
length of these critical DNA markers, whether from lifestyle digressions or
age, will have the same detrimental consequences.

It is now possible to examine
cellular wear and aging by means of a simple blood test
to reveal a person's telomere length. In addition to following a diet optimized
for proper nutrients and calories and avoiding negative lifestyle habits, the
dipeptide carnosine has been shown to maintain and actually lengthen telomeres.
Due to the potent antioxidant action of carnosine, the naturally derived
nutrient is shown to play a protective role in preventing telomere damage while
decreasing the rate of telomere shortening during cell division, effectively
slowing down the aging process.

Carnosine is presently used for
preventing or treating complications of diabetes such as nerve damage,
cataracts and kidney problems, as it prevents the damaging effects of advanced
glycation end products (AGE’s). Carnosine is naturally found in free-range
meats and fish. As many health-minded individuals avoid animal based foods,
carnosine supplements are available (1000 mg per day) that may help prevent telomere
shortening and protect against heart attack and premature death.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Alzheimer’s disease presently
ranks as the sixth leading cause of death in the US, as the number of new cases
is projected to triple by the year 2050 and affect as many of sixteen million
people. The result of a new study presented
at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting has found that the level
and duration of quality sleep may later affect memory function and the risk of
Alzheimer's disease in later life.

Researchers determined that poor
quality sleep is associated with the build-up of neural tangles between
synapses that is associated with the loss of ability to form new memories and
progression of Alzheimer’s
dementia. Making time for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep each night
may be a crucial factor to Alzheimer’s risk reduction as we age.

The lead study author, Dr. Yo-El
Ju from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis noted “Disrupted sleep appears to be associated
with the build-up of amyloid plaques, a hallmark marker of Alzheimer’s disease,
in the brains of people without memory problems”. In an effort to determine
the link between poor sleep habits and cognitive decline, researchers tested
the sleep patterns of 100 people between the ages of 45 and 80 who were free of
dementia.

Half of the participants tested
had a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, while a second control group had
no familial history of the disease. A special device used to measure sleep
patterns was placed on all participants for a period of two weeks to assess
quality and depth of sleep time. Additionally, sleep diaries and questionnaires
were employed to further analyze sleep cycles.

Eight Hours of Sleep Necessary for Optimal Brain Function and Health

The study
found that 25% of the subjects tested showed signs of amyloid plaques, a
consistent marker of Alzheimer’s disease progression. Although the
participant’s averaged 8 hours of sleep each night, this was reduced to 6.5
hours due to sleep disruptions during the night that affected the total sleep
time and quality of deep sleep required by the brain to perform repair
functions.

Those who did not wake up
frequently during the night were 5 times less likely to possess the amyloid
plaque build-up compared to those who slept poorly or less than 7 total hours. Participants
who did not sleep well were significantly more likely to exhibit the amyloid
markers associated with cognitive decline resulting in Alzheimer’s disease.

Although this study did not
provide a direct reason for the finding, scientists believe that the amyloid
protein clumps and tangles that occur as a normal process of metabolism in the
brain are only cleared during quality sleep time and duration of 7 to 9 hours
each night. In addition to the myriad of lifestyle and dietary patterns
presently known to help prevent most chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, a
good night’s sleep in a totally dark room with no interruptions should now be
added to the top of the risk reduction list.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Curcumin, the active
anti-inflammatory compound found in the Indian spice tumeric, has gained an
impressive reputation in the fight against many deadly forms of cancer. New
evidence released
in the journal Cancer Research finds
that the natural phenol can slow prostate tumor growth by blocking receptors
used to propagate cell tissue growth.

Additional research published in
the journal PLoS One explains the
precise mechanism exerted by curcumin molecules to target the amyloid fibrils
associated with the unnatural progression of protein-like plaque tangles that
are characteristic in Alzheimer’s
disease patients. Adding curry spice to your healthy diet or supplementing
daily with a standardized curcumin capsule will help win your individual war
against cancerous proliferation and Alzheimer’s dementia.

Curcumin Blocks Prostate Cell Receptors to Thwart Cancer Progression

Prostate cancer is one of the
most common forms of the disease, with more than 250,000 diagnoses in the US
each year. Any natural compound that targets the proliferation of prostate
cancer cells would provide a significant remedy compared with the allopathic
methods of radiation, surgery and chemical agents. To conduct the study,
researchers subjected prostate cancer cells to hormone deprivation in the
presence and absence of curcumin with ‘physiologically attainable’ doses.

The researchers found that
curcumin blocked two genetic receptors necessary for prostate cancer
advancement. These receptors have been shown is past studies to predict cancer
incidence and rate of growth of existing tumors. They noted
that the spice extract was “a potent
inhibitor of both cell cycle and survival in prostate cancer cells.”

The lead study author, Dr. Karen
Knudsen and her team found that other cancer cell lines multiply by a similar
receptor mechanism and may also be inhibited by the curry compound. She commented that
curcumin “also has implications beyond
prostate cancer… in other malignancies, like breast cancer. In tumors where
these play an important function, curcumin may prove to be a promising
therapeutic agent.”

In a separate research body,
scientists found that curcumin prolongs life and enhances activity of brain
neurons, acting as a neuroprotective shield against Alzheimer’s disease
advancement. The research team determined that curcumin acted to prevent the
damaging accumulation of amyloid fibrils around the nerve synapse. Amyloid
tangles are known to prevent normal electrical and chemical transmissions
required to form memories and maintain cognition.

Scientific research models
continue to extol the virtues of natural spice and herbal extracts such as
curcumin to help prevent and treat many deadly diseases that kill countless millions
each year. Incorporate curry spices as part of your healthy diet or include a
daily supplement (250 mg to 500 mg standardized curcumin extract) to
significantly lower cancer risk and support healthy brain function.

Natural Weight Loss EBook by John Phillip.

About Me

John Phillip is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and Diet, Health and Nutrition Researcher/Writer with a passion for understanding Weight Loss challenges and encouraging Health Modification through proper Diet, Nutritional Lifestyle and Targeted Supplementation. John's passion is to research and write about the cutting edge medical technology which will affect our lives through life extension principles.